Direct current power transmission systems are used today to interconnect AC power systems and to transmit the power at high voltages over long distances. These systems are known in the art as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems. Such a HVDC system can for example be used to link two independent AC power grids so that power can be transferred from one grid to the other for power trade purposes. Depending on the price and supply situation of the two grids, frequent power reversals may be necessary to change the direction of power flow from one grid to the other.
The main parts of a HVDC system are the DC link in form of one or a multiple of power cables or overhead lines and a converter station at each end of the DC link containing a power converter. The power converter which transforms AC into DC is called rectifier, and the power converter transforming DC into AC is called inverter.